


Christmas Alone

by LionsEscaped



Series: Cersei x Jaime Holiday Fictions [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beautiful Golden Fools, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Holidays, Humor, Incest, Love, New York City, Sad with a Happy Ending, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21772033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LionsEscaped/pseuds/LionsEscaped
Summary: Cersei is alone on Christmas Eve. Until she isn't.Written for the 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge, prompt "Bah Humbug"
Relationships: Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister
Series: Cersei x Jaime Holiday Fictions [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1256942
Comments: 29
Kudos: 57
Collections: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge, Cersei x Jaime Happy Endings Only





	1. Bah Humbug

**Author's Note:**

> Was inspired to do a Christmas fic this year for Cersei/Jaime, hope you all like it.

Cersei sat in her bath, having never felt more alone in all her life. It was Christmas Eve and she would be spending it, as well as the day tomorrow all alone. She took a sip of her wine as she cursed the blasted snowstorm, and the damned Starks and Tyrells for her misfortune.

Joffrey lived mere miles away, but was currently on vacation in Florida. Storm aside, he'd had no plans to come home for Christmas. Cersei supposed it wasn't his fault, he'd needed to get away to forget about things. The Tyrell whore had broken his heart over the summer when she'd dumped him for Tommen. To make matters worse, the tabloids were siding with Tommen, congratulating him and Margaery on their recent engagement, which certainly didn't make things any easier for poor Joffrey. He'd promised to call tomorrow though if he could find the time.

Thanks to this Margaery, Tommen lived in Europe now, having moved there just after Thanksgiving. Margaery had not only managed to sink her claws into him, but to convince him that living abroad would be a good experience for him. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that her family resided there, Margaery had assured Cersei. She'd smiled sweetly and explained to Cersei that there simply were many more opportunities for a pastry chef in France, and didn't she want her son to be successful? Cersei approved of her sons career choice almost less than she did his choice of girlfriend. She remembered it had taken every ounce of self-control she had to not go into a rage in that moment.

Flights to NY were suspended until the storm cleared, which was expected to be December 26th at the earliest. So she'd have to settle for a simple skype session with her youngest tomorrow, while he'd spend the day with Margaery and have Christmas dinner at that old bat Olenna Tyrell's house, with her grandson Loras and worse his boyfriend Renly Baratheon. Cersei never could stand Robert's brothers. At least he was a step better than Stannis who at one time attempted to petition the courts to test her children's paternity. That hadn't worked out in his favor, thankfully.

As for Myrcella, she now lived several timezones away and it would be too dangerous for her to travel in these conditions. As with Tommen, she'd have to settle for a simple skype session. She supposed she had Robert to blame for this particular misfortune. It was just all too convenient that Myrcella had been accepted into the same college as that Stark boy all those years ago. Robert had to have had his hand in on that one somehow. He'd always hoped one of his children would marry one of Ned's.

At least she could take some comfort that Robert had not lived long enough to see the wedding and in the fact that Myrcella, as well as her other two children, were not Robert's children. but were, in fact, her brother Jaime's. She would have let out a smirk at the reminder of these two facts, but her mood was far too sour. These things mattered not. Myrcella was still in the North, Alaska to be precise. Joffrey was still in Florida. and Tommen was still in France, and father was still dead, this being their first Christmas without him. As for Jaime, her sweet Jaime, he had not spoken to her in months. 'Bah humbug', she thought.

Her phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She checked the caller id "unknown caller". 'Good', she thought, ready to tell off whatever telemarketer had the nerve to be calling her on Christmas Eve.

"Cersei"

"Tyrion?" she answered unable to hide her disappointment. Of course, he would block out his number when calling, knowing otherwise she'd ignore him. However, her children being away, and Jaime not speaking to her, all she had right now was Tyrion, and so she refrained from hanging up.

"Cersei. How have you been?"

"How do you think I've been? It's Christmas Eve and thanks to this blizzard I will be spending it without my children." 'And without Jaime,' she added silently.

"I could come over and we could pop open some wine and watch some old home movies. I got you a present."

"How kind of you. But I don't think you're supposed to be out walking any distance in a blizzard. You're so small, you might get whisked away to the North Pole, and then you'd be spending Christmas Eve making toys for Santa."

"Ha ha. Your concern is touching dear sister. You're forgetting however that I live in the same Condominium as you do now."

"Oh yeah," surprised that she had momentarily forgotten his move all those months ago, given all the times that she had stalked outside his loft in the faint hope of catching Jaime visiting.

"But, aren't you spending Christmas with Shea?" she asked, unsure of whether or not she hoped he actually had other plans.

"Shay? We've been broken up for weeks. My schedule's wide open."

"Fine. Call me again tomorrow and perhaps we will see."

"Very well then. Will you be alone tonight? Nobody should be alone on Christmas Eve."

"Tonight I wish to be alone and wallow in my misery with some wine."

"Aye. If that is what you wish. Bah humbug and all that," he let out a soft chuckle before continuing, "But you will be home all night, correct?"

"Are you stupid as well as small? Where would I go? It's the worst blizzard NY has ever seen out there. I'd have to be a fool to go out in this weather."

"A fool indeed. Very well then. I will let you get back to your solitude," and with that, the two bid each other goodbye.

She couldn't believe she would be spending Christmas day with Tyrion of all people. She wasn't sure whether that was better or worse than spending Christmas alone.

Unbidden, her thoughts went to her other brother, the one she loved as more than a brother. With her children all far away, she should be spending the day with him. But Jaime hadn't talked to her since Thanksgiving, and he'd been very short with her then and had made it very clear he was there just to spend Thanksgiving with the family. The last time they had been together, truely together had been late in the summer. She hated to think of the terrible fight they'd had and tried to force her mind not to replay that scene again, but she couldn't help it.

_"We have been over this a million times. We cannot tell people!" she'd exclaimed._

_"In New Jer.."_

_Cersei cut him off, "Yes I know. In New Jersey incest is legal. We can move there, be as open about our relationship as you want, and nobody could imprison us. But the children would lose their inheritances! Joffrey would become known as the son of an incestuous union and lose all hope of acquiring a senator seat, and all three of our children's trust funds from Robert would be seized! Is that what you want? To leave our children without an inheritance?!"_

_"They will have their shares of Lannister fortune which is even vaster than Robert's was. Why can't that be enough?!"_

_"It just isn't! I want the best for them! If people knew that all three were the result of an incestuous relationship they would be ostracized from society! Furthermore, I certainly don't want Stannis of all people to be even richer!"_

_"Well, I am sick of hiding! I want everyone to know about us! You married Robert of all people, yet you won't even hold my hand in public!"_

_"Because I can't! Now stop this foolishness or leave!"_

_"I will leave then. Goodbye, sister," he replied, emphasizing the sister part._

After he had left, Cersei had tried to calm her worries. They'd argued plenty before, but somehow this felt different. Still, she was sure he'd call or text her within a few days as he always did. When instead weeks, then months had passed, with still no word from him, she had finally texted him, only to have it bounce back to her as 'number not in service'. It wasn't the first time this had happened to her. Jaime had more than once spilled things on his phone ruining it and having to discontinue his service, and he'd also lost the phone on more than one occasion. It was, however, the first time he hadn't texted her his new number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please review! [](https://statcounter.com/)


	2. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise visitor makes Cersei less grinchy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and reviews. Thank you also to the one reviewer who seems to have deleted their review, I assume by accident while editing (the one who mentioned the tagging, then I assume noticed that I did have the tag in and went to edit but accidentally deleted instead). I hope you all enjoy the conclusion!

Cersei knew It would do her little good to dwell on how things had gone with Jaime. It certainly wouldn't make this Christmas any better. Sighing, she got herself out of the tub and dried off. The water was cooling and she'd been in long enough already anyway. Besides that, she was hungry. She supposed she'd have to heat up some of the dishes she'd had the help prepare in advance before granting them a Christmas Eve off to spend with their families. She silently fumed, cursing the press. She was being so kind as to let her servants have Christmas Eve off! Why hadn't any of the tabloids published this story? They should be heralding her kindness. Of course, she'd expected them all back Christmas day, but with the blizzard, nobody was traveling now. Oh well, she reminded herself, "A lioness does not concern herself with the opinions of the sheep." 

After getting dressed she headed to the kitchen. She looked in the fridge, debating what to heat up, before settling on some ham, stuffing, biscuits, and gravy. 

She chose to eat her meal in the kitchen, rather than move to the vast dining room whos emptiness she was sure would sadden her even more. She quickly found that precooked food didn't taste quite as good or perhaps she'd heated it too long in the microwave. She supposed next year her servents would have to settle for phone calls with their families on the holidays. Still, the food was far more edible than the turkey Jaime had attempted to cook one year.

Having finished her meal, she checked her phone, deciding she would give Joffrey a call. 'No service'. Well, it had worked earlier as Tyrion had called her, perhaps it would be back soon in spite of the blizzard. No new texts either it seemed, but perhaps the phone had gone out just shortly after Tyrion's call.

She moved to the living room, sitting down on her red sofa. She turned on her tv only to find her cable out as well. Angerly she tossed the remote against the wall, only to retrieve it a few moments later. She'd decided she'd bring the old DVD player out and watch some home videos of happier Christmases. Perhaps that would cheer her up some, though she doubted it.

As she was heading to the room with the older electronics, she eyed the presents under her Christmas tree. Bored she decided she would perhaps open a few early. 

The ones dropped off at her door with no sender or return address interested her the most. She hoped they were from Jaime. Perhaps he'd decided to reach out by sending her a gift and just forgotten to tag it, he'd done that many times. She smiled, remembering many years ago, when Myrcella had ended up with Tommen's GI Joe action figures much to her dismay, and Tommen had ended up with Myrcella's Hello Kitty plushie, much to his delight, because of such a thing. 

She opened the two untagged packages shaped similarly and unwrapped them one after the other. Books she discovered. Judging by the covers and names, fantasy books. Since she didn't open the books she, of course, failed to notice the attached note stuck in between page one stating "These books made me think of us. Call me 212-896-2378 -Jaime" 

"Tyrion!" she concluded, figuring it was for sure from him. He loved to read fantasy books and his loft was covered in fantasy memorabilia. There was even a giant dragon statue right in his living room. She, on the other hand, had better things to do with her time than focus on such things. Hadn't she told him this before numerous times? However, she was so bored that she actually was debating reading them.

Just as she was about to make a decision on whether or not to relocate the books to another room, or read them, a knock on the door interrupted her. She almost regretted letting the help take the holidays off. She wondered who it could be? Carolers? She'd give them a piece of her mind if so. Then she remembered, not only would they not know the condominium's security code, but the storm was too bad for anyone to even venture out caroling. "Go away!" she exclaimed at whoever it was. Still, the incessant knocking continued. Annoyed, she headed towards the door. 

Looking out the peephole she saw that it was....Jaime? What was he doing here?

She opened the door and stood there staring at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, but most of all an apology.

"Well, aren't you going to let me in?," he asked as she continued to gawk at him. 

"I...of course," she replied stepping aside, "What are you doing here? And what's with the bow?" she asked, referring to the bow on his coat.

"I'm your present."

"...What?," she asked confused. 

"The present Tyrion got for you. He thought it'd be funny to put this blasted thing on me."

"Oh. So you're here because Tyrion wants us to get along," she stated unable to hide her anger and disappointment

"What?! No! I'm here because I want to be. Tyrion just helped me arrange things."

"How did you get here in this weather? You surely couldn't have walked..."

"Only a few blocks to get to and from the subway."

"The subways aren't running though."

"They are when you're rich and have connections. You can thank Tyrion for that one."

"Of..,of course. But what are you doing here? You've ignored me for months. At Thanksgiving, you barely said a word to me."

"I love you," he stated, going in for a kiss. Unable to resist him, Cersei couldn't help but kiss back.

However, Cersei wasn't about to let him off the hook that easy, reluctantly pulling away she asked, "Where have you been these past few months then?!. "

"Cers, I'm here now, let's forget about these past few months. It doesn't matter anyway."

"Of course it matters! Answer me."

"I walked three blocks in a blizzard so that I could be here tonight!"

"Doesn't mean all's forgiven," she replied, getting some distance between them.

"Well, I forgive you. You could try doing the same sweet sister."

"Forgive me for what? It's you who needs forgiving dear brother. To ignore me for so long for such silliness. Surely you must realize we cannot be together in public."

"Perhaps. But it wouldn't hurt to be just a little open in public. What are they going to do, run a front-page story that the Lannister twins are holding hands? It hardly proves anything. But that fight is why I left that day, it's not why I stayed away so long."

Cersei listened, waiting for him to explain.

"I came by here a week after our fight. I stopped by the local convenience store first. I saw the headline in the tabloids," he stated, accusingly.

"The headline? What headline?" Cersei asked. Being the subject of so much gossip she couldn't be sure which headline or tabloid Jaime was even referring to.

"The 'Bodyguard or Boyfriend' one. Of you kissing Osney Kettleblack.'"

"That is why you've not contacted me sooner? You fool!"

"I'd heard rumors before then too, but I didn't want to believe them. Did you fuck him?"

"As if I'd ever let a Kettleblack into my bed!"

"The picture, then?"

"It was a kiss and did it look as though I initiated that? He wouldn't let me go! My hand was midair because I was a split second away from slapping him!" 

"So you and Osney...you really didn't....?"

"No. Of course not! I would never betray you!" Cersei couldn't believe Jaime would accuse her of such a thing. Osney Kettleback wasn't even handsome, and his blue eyes and black hair reminded her far too much of Robert.

If she were going to have slept with anyone else, it would have been their cousin Lancel, but Jaime didn't need to know that. It wasn't as if she had actually done anything with the boy, well anything sexual anyway. Besides that, Lancel may have been nineteen, but he was still a boy far as she was concerned. She'd only even considered sleeping with him because he had reminded her of a younger Jaime. But in the end, his hair had been too dark, his eyes too dull, and his kiss too sloppy. In another life, where it would benefit her in some way, then perhaps, but here and now she found that whatever similarities he and Jaime shared just weren't enough for her to go through with such a thing. 

Jaime looked at her closely, unsure whether or not to believe her. It was Christmas Eve though and he didn't want to fight. Besides, that Tyrion had told him she'd replaced Osney as a bodyguard sometime shortly after that photo. He should have contacted her then, but that tabloid kept haunting him.

Finally, Jaime replied that he believed her, and before she could stop him, his arms were around her and his lips on hers.

"You can't just come back here with no apologies!," exclaimed Cersei, as she pushed him off her and gave him a slap to boot.

She knew she was being hard on him, but damn him, these past few months had been hard on her. Where had he been when Joffrey had decided to take an extra-long vacation several states away, or when Tommen had moved overseas? 

Jaime sighed, "I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. I know these past few months couldn't have been easy, what with Tommen moving away."

"And Joffrey. He's been in Florida for months now. He claims it a vacation but I fear he may never return to NY."

"I'm sure he will soon. He enjoys big city life far too much. He will tire of Florida, just as he did all the other places he's visited. He thinks himself, future mayor of this city, one day, after all."

"And he will be! But it won't stop there, one day he'll be governor, perhaps president even."

Not wanting to argue on Christmas Eve and after having just reunited, Jaime simply replied, "Perhaps."

An air of silence hung, neither being sure what to say or do next. Jaime broke the silence, "I've missed you."

"And I you."

"I couldn't spend another day away from you. Especially not on Christmas. We've always been together on Christmas."

"Yes, we have," replied Cersei.

"You couldn't help but open some of your gifts again I see," Jaime stated, noticing the two unwrapped gifts beneath the Christmas tree. Books, he noticed, not close enough to make out if they were the ones he had gotten.

She shrugged, "I was bored and didn't feel like waiting."

"Well, you never did have much self-control," he laughed, a bit annoyed that she seemed to at least have enough to resist unwrapping him. 

Cersei's face turned red, whether from embarrassment or anger, he did not know, probably both judging from the fact that she began to storm off to the dining room. 

Amused, Jaime followed, "Come on, Cersei. I am sorry. But self-control has never been your strong suit sweet sister. Not when we were children. Or even as adults. I still remember all of those times you made me sneak into fathers loft to see what he had gotten you."

She began to pour herself a drink, "Well it seems I have better self-control than you in certain regards. Besides that, I needed to ensure he hadn't gotten any of the same things I had gotten the children, so I was just being a good mother," she paused and then in a sadder tone added, "I miss father. And mother too."

"Me too. I wish they were still with us. The Christmases when both mother and father were alive remain some of my favorite Christmases. Though nothing beats that Christmas we spent in Fiji away from everybody." 

Cersei smiled, remembering the Christmas two years before she'd married Robert, long before their children had come along and before the media had given much of a damn about them. She'd been reluctant to spend three weeks in Fiji, but Jaime had managed to convince her, and for those weeks they had acted every bit a couple.

"That was a wonderful Christmas. This Christmas, on the other hand, is shaping up to be the worst," she stated.

"Does it not improve things any now that I'm here?," asked Jaime, hurt.

"It does. That has been the only good thing about this Christmas." 

An awkward silence followed. Cersei having too much pride to go into his arms and Jaime being unsure whether to make a move again as his last two times had been rebuffed.

It was Jaime who broke the silence first, "I got a bunch more gifts for you. They're at Tyrion's."

"More?" she asked confused. She hadn't noticed any gifts from him under the tree and she had certainly checked and double-checked.

"I left some gifts here a week ago. Didn't leave my name on them....I...well I was a bit worried you wouldn't open them if you saw they were from me."

"Ah, I haven't seen those yet," she stated not realizing those had been the gifts she had opened. She smiled at him for the first time in months, "I got you something too actually," 'or rather my personal assistant did' she added to herself, relieved that she'd neglected to tell them not to get Jaime anything this year.

"So...what now?" he asked after a brief silence.

Cersei approached him, pride be damned. She grabbed his shirt and was a split second away from kissing him, when suddenly the power went out. She hesitated briefly and Jaime went in first for the kiss. The two kissed in the dark, not caring if and when the power would come back on. 

Thirty seconds later, the two were still kissing and Jaime was unbuttoning Cersei's pajama top when the backup generator kicked in, not that they noticed. They moved to the bedroom, quickly making up for lost time.

Afterward, the two lay in bed spent. Cersei opened the curtains slightly and gazed outside, "Looks like power is out for most of the city. You'd think they'd all have their own backup generators, after all this is Manhatten!" 

Jaime turned to look with her, taking in the view of the city that never sleeps, finally doing such, the only remaining lights being from the full moon and a few in one of the nearby highrises. He decided as much as he enjoyed the sight, the woman laying next to him was more appealing. Unable to get enough of her he kissed her again. The two spent the rest of the night in bed, alternating between talking and making love, before finally falling into a peaceful sleep cuddled up to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews/feedback/kudos welcome and Merry Christmas! [](https://statcounter.com/) edit in 2020: I may do another lannicest Christmas fic this year but not sure. I'll be more likely to if more people comment on this and/or my Lannister Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years fic.


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